1999 Fiat Punto Reviews - Page 4 of 5

1999 Fiat Punto 60S Team 1.2 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Really good value for money

Faults:

No faults apart from minor electrical problems, e.g. the speedometer would occasionally stop working for perhaps seconds or at most a few minutes.

General Comments:

This was a cheap car bought at auction for £3800 and was an excellent buy. The 8 valve engine is smooth and lively and has never given any trouble whatsoever. The seats are comfortable and my only grumbles were the absence of electric windows and power steering, but then it was cheap and has kept me cheerful.

1999 Fiat Punto 1.2 petrol from Estonia

Summary:

Good car

Faults:

Nothing except one light bulb and a stereo button (but that was a child's fault)

General Comments:

I like the styling of the car and it's fun to drive too. Also has got lots of space and is fast enough for me. The best thing is, this car has got character, something that was not found in my previous vw.

1st Jan 2009, 10:32

I bought my 1998 Punto SX60 on November 5th 2008, it had 88,000 miles on the clock and worked fine.

There was a fuel problem a week into owning it where I ran out of fuel and it wouldn't start again, I just took it to the garage and they said they had cleared an air pressure problem in the fuel lines, ever since I've had no troubles with it.. great car!!

1999 Fiat Punto 1.25 16v from Greece

Summary:

Faults:

Well, nothing serious till now, but it appears that there is a small problem when changing from 1st to 2nd gear. Although the gearbox works fine, the change from 1st to 2nd does not feel right.

General Comments:

I have the PUNTO HLX (new) and in general I am very satisfied with the car. The build quality is very good, the materials used inside may not be the best, but they are good and they feel nice to the touch.

It handles very well, and even if you push it to the limits it's still predictable.

It's roomy (I can even compare it with the next class), practical, well designed, but the front seats need more support.

Its safety is top class according to the EuroNCAP, but I do feel the need to add an ABS for the brakes for better control.

1999 Fiat Punto GT 1.4 turbo from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Faults:

Valve cracked after 9 months. Car was off the road for 3 months waiting for new cylinder head to be delivered from Italy. Courtesy car was only supplied after 3 weeks. I requested a new engine. Fiat would not oblige.

After the head rebuild, poor workmanship resulted in large oil leak from the turbo. Fixed quickly.

Throttle potentiometer stuck open. Engine management thought the car was being floored all the time.

Car developed misfire. Plugs needed changing because of fouling.

Car developed a misfire again today. Changed plugs again. Misfire still happening. Car only serviced 4 months ago. Going to the dealer tomorrow!

General Comments:

This has got to be the most frustrating car I have ever owned. Amazing fun when working.

I have never been able to drive the car properly since the valve cracked, as the engine has always seemed so much more fragile.

I tried taking my complaint through the Fiat customer support channels, but didn't really get anywhere.

I am possibly considering legal action if this is not resolved!

NEVER BUY A GT! Go for the more robust 1.2 Sporting, or a new HGT if you have plenty of cash.

20th Sep 2001, 06:09

Sounds like you've been unlucky. We've run ours since 95 and now selling it with 66,000 miles. Apart from a flat battery, its been extremely reliable - more so than our 'new' VW Passat. But that's another story.